Steamed artichokes, the simplest way to cook them

Perfect as a side dish, simple or seasoned, steamed artichokes keep all their taste and properties unchanged.

Artichokes are the protagonists of many recipes of traditional Italian cuisine , especially that of central-southern Italy. The simplest way to cook them is to steam artichokes. This cooking technique, less aggressive than boiling, allows the properties, in particular potassium and magnesium , to be kept almost unchanged, but also to obtain a light and tasty side dish.

Many people think that cleaning artichokes is complicated and laborious, so they give up. In fact, however, it is very simple and if you really don't want to try these steps, buy them fresh but already cleaned: they can be found in every supermarket, when they are in season. But no more chatter. Let's see how to steam artichokes.

How to prepare the steam artichoke recipe

1. First clean the artichokes . Start with the stem and the lower part, which you remove with a knife. Then cut the tips and with the help of a teaspoon also remove the internal beard.
2. Divide them into four and as they are ready, transfer them to a basin filled with water acidulated with the juice of a lemon.
3. To prepare the steamed artichokes, bring a pan with 3 inches of water to the boil. Place the steamer and distribute the artichokes in a single layer. Cook for 20 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork.
4. Serve them hot or cold, seasoning them to taste with oil, salt and lemon juice.

Artichokes in a pressure cooker

To steam artichokes in a pressure cooker, the procedure is the same. Once cleaned, pour two inches of water into the pan (or according to the instructions), position the basket and close. Cook for 10 minutes starting from the whistle .

Alternatively, we recommend you try boiled artichokes , also perfect as a side dish or to use as a starting point for other recipes.

storage

Steamed artichokes can be stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for 2-3 days .